Blogs:

Students who are not in a position to other wise attend colleges due to various reasons can receive post secondary education through community colleges. The original aim of community colleges was to prepare students to transfer in a smooth manner to regular four year college through the associate degree offered here.

However, today we find the very purpose defeated as most of the students who pass out from community colleges do not want to pursue higher education and usually are satisfied with the certificate or degree they receive from here. Dropout rates are found to be much higher for students who go through community colleges than those who join a four year degree course directly.

Analyzing the job market too, we find that students who pass out of a four year bachelor’s degree program have better earning opportunities than those who gain an associate degree from a community college and do not opt for transfer to a regular college. Only about 17 percent of students who say they are planning on continuing their education actually do it according to various surveys and research studies.

It is clearly evident that students who directly pursue a four year college degree are more likely to continue and complete their education rather than those who take an intermediate two year associate course at the community colleges.

A lot of students and parents fail to realize the major role played by community colleges in providing them with an opportunity to obtain college education. The only problem here is individuals get easily side tracked and are not usually focussed on their goals.
Studies also reveal that most of the students who opt for studying in community colleges are minorities or from the low income bracket. They are unable to handle the pressures of higher education as they are not trained well enough.

Unable to handle their workload, most of them end up quitting half way through their degree programs. There is a huge gap between what community colleges prepare their students for and what the four year bachelor’s degree program expects of them.

This is an alarming situation which has resulted in a falling percentage of American graduates as compared to other countries in the world. The issue has to be addressed on an emergency basis and community colleges have to gear up to prepare students more effectively in handling the pressures of higher education in America.

Community colleges are indispensible in the role they play in serving the disadvantaged and economically weak student population. It is evident however those students from low income families are facing a lot of negative educational and cultural effects which are long lasting.
It should be a combined effort from educationalists, community colleges, universities and colleges offering four year bachelor’s degree programs and the government to bring a balance to this situation.

It is in the interest of the nation to ensure more number of students transfer to regular colleges and stick on to complete their degree. A combined effort must be set in motion immediately to address this important and vital issue.